spread the facts | “Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and COVID-19: An Interview with Experts“ – National Council on Aging

The importance of communications in crises | “The authors in this study explain “that it is “important to effectively and promptly use the media outlets people are routinely exposed to most often to provide knowledge and preventive behaviors at proper health literacy levels after a pandemic begins … ” – Journalist’s Resource

“The Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 and Physical Distancing | The Need for Prevention and Early Intervention” – The JAMA Network

flub-a-dub | Coronavirus Briefing Edition – The Daily Show

Blind followers only see, hear and speak what the dear leader says – science and facts do not matter. But they do have consequences.

Today’s US coronavirus numbers | Total cases: 1,035,765 (it was 883,826 at this time Friday) and total deaths: 59, 266 (it was 50,373 on Friday).

Testing, testing, testing.  | “It’s the most critical thing that public health officials, epidemiologists, respiratory disease specialists, scientists, and researchers say the country can do now to slow down the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Widespread testing is essential so that those who are infected but not showing any symptoms can be identified and isolated so they don’t spread the virus. As one expert put it, find the hot spots before they become raging wildfires of infection.” – Fast Forward

“Dr. Anthony Fauci | the country’s top infectious disease expert, says testing for the novel coronavirus must be doubled before the US should even consider easing restrictions. There currently are about 1.6 million tests being performed every week; Fauci says that should be at least 3 million per week. Harvard researchers calculated that the US should be doing 5 million tests a day, distributed unevenly across the states depending the size of each state’s outbreak. — Last word from Fauci about the states that are loosening restrictions: ‘If we are unsuccessful, or prematurely try to open up, and we have additional outbreaks that are out of control, it could be a rebound to get us right back in the same boat that we were in a few weeks ago.'” – ibid

“PUC Reminds Citizens of Telephonic Public Meeting | The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) reminded stakeholders and citizens that its next public meeting – on Thursday, April 30 – will be conducted telephonically. – news release

WEBINAR: today, 11:00 am to noon | “While work continues on the front lines to address the COVID-19 pandemic, attention is also focused on what happens on the other side of the ‘curve.’ Government leaders must determine an approach, amid a range of options, for reopening their particular jurisdictions. Learn how a flexible, risk-based approach applied at an individual level could allow a quicker return to ‘normal’ and watch a live demonstration of a potential technical solution that can create an individual risk estimate and validate COVID test results. Tune in to Restarting America

No, not here but in another place with a bozo at the top | “It’s hard to tell you what his main strategy is because it changes so often.” – The New Yorker

LONG READ: “American culture poses special challenges.” | “Our freedoms to assemble, to speak our minds, to ignore good advice, and to second-guess authority can facilitate the spread of a virus. Democracy is a great thing, but it means, for something like covid-19, we have to persuade people to cooperate if we want to save their lives.” – The New Yorker